


Promises

by orphan_account



Category: Nier Gestalt | Nier
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Not really but yes, the kids are ok don’t worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-01-31 17:17:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21449857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Promises are funny things, Yonah thinks. They're very easy to keep and break.
Relationships: Nier & Yonah (Nier)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Promises

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write something following The Red and Black story from Grimoire Nier. Yoko Taro done fucked up my kids.

"Yonah, your ribbon's come undone."

The little girl stops wiping the table and lets her brother fix her bonnet. His fingers tickle under her chin and she giggles, drawing a smile out of the young man.

"Go back to bed," Nier says, taking the rag from her hands. "I'll take care of it."

She shakes her head, the curls sticking out of her hat bounce. "It's the least I can do!"

Her brother is having none of that, though. He picks Yonah up and she squeals, laughing.

"Quiet down or you'll start coughing again," he warns.

She pouts and sticks her tongue out, but she knows he's right. He's always right because he's the oldest and Popola says she would know since she's always reminding Devola as well. She's tucked back into bed, a routine she's grown used to. But someone else used to always tuck her in, didn't they?

The thought is brushed aside much like how Nier does with her bangs when they're in her face.

"The next time I come back home, we'll trim your hair. What do you think, Yonah?"

She nods her head and she listens to her brother promise many things like letting her play outside when she gets better or that he'll stay at home for the day. Promises are funny things, Yonah thinks. They're very easy to keep and break.

When Yonah goes to sleep, she dreams of a woman holding her and Nier's hand.

When she tells Nier this in the morning, he humors her with a surprised gasp. There's something about his tone that she doesn't quite like. Yonah sticks her tongue out. Nier sticks his back as he ruffles her hair. Giggling, she sits at the table and watches him make breakfast.

"Are you staying home today?" Yonah asks, her voice hoarse.

"Don't talk so much, Yonah. I heard you coughing through the night again," Nier says as he hands her a glass of water.

With a huff, Yonah takes the cup with both hands. She looks at him pointedly. _You still didn't answer the question, brother. _

Nier stares back, blankly. Then, there's a spark in his eyes as he exclaims,"Oh!"

Yonah brings a hand to her mouth as she shakes with a smile. It's gone just as quick once Nier speaks.

"I'm sorry, Yonah, I have to do something today."

_You always have to do something. _

Her brother winces, and Yonah knows that he doesn't mean to leave her alone. He truly is a busy boy. She knows why they have more food to eat sometimes and why she's able to take that disgusting medicine.

Nier is doing this all for them.

He speaks less as days go by. It's been this way ever since he started going to Seafront. He's never said anything more than "for a job" when prodded and she's sure he never will because whenever he comes to, he smiles like he wasn't just staring off into space and talks about everything but his new job. Yonah eventually stops asking about Seafront.

It's only when he comes back home one foggy day that she finds him covered in blood. Yonah _shrieks_. She's only ever seen blood when one of her coughing fits start to hurt more than usual. When she sobs, her chest hurts just like she's in the middle of one now. Quickly, Nier runs his hands up and down her bare arms murmuring.

"You, you're covered in-!"

"It's not mine," he says quietly. It does little to quell the fear in Yonah because she only cries harder. "I'm alright."

"Monsters?" she asks between hiccups. And she feels her brother nodding his head ever so slightly against her shoulder. When had he pulled her into a hug? She tries hard to not think about the mess on her dress.

"They're gone for now. And they'll never mess with us ever again." He's holding her and he whispers in her ear but she feels that he's not speaking to her.

He's shaking and Yonah's never seen him like this. She runs a hand on his back and she freezes. Whatever's dripping on her shoulder isn't blood.

"We're okay," she says and feels Nier nodding his head again. She tries threading her fingers through his hair but recently, he's been braiding it and tying it up every which way. 

"We're okay," Nier echoes back and flinches in Yonah's arms.

Later that night, after they've washed up and gotten changed_,_ Nier is holding their bloody clothes with disgust. "Can't imagine this being easy to clean," he sniffles.

"Maybe ask Popola?"

"Good idea."

Yonah is tucked in bed like always and it's almost as if Nier didn't come home in someone's or _something's_ blood. 

"You know, I'll always be there for you, right?" Nier says and it's a reassurance for both of them. 

"I know."

Nier squeezes Yonah's hand and Yonah squeezes back. It feels like a promise. This, at least, she knows he won't break.


End file.
